Angels’ Amir Garrett has new mindset in hopes of career rebound

• May 4, 2024

CLEVELAND — After he was released by a third team within a year, Amir Garrett was pitching in Triple-A with the Angels when he got some career-altering advice from an old friend.

Garrett, a 32-year-old left-hander who broke in the majors as Joey Votto’s teammate with the Cincinnati Reds, said Votto gave him the message he needed to hear last month.

“You’re too good not to be in the big leagues,” Votto told Garrett.

Votto went further and told Garrett that he needed to stop pitching defensively.

“Don’t be scared to get hit,” Votto told him. “Throw the ball over the plate like I’ve seen you at your best. The way you attack hitters, not a lot of damage is going to get done. Just trust your stuff.”

After an early outing for Salt Lake City in which he issued three walks, Garrett proceeded to issue just one walk in his next six innings, with seven strikeouts. He did not allow a run.

That earned Garrett a promotion to the Angels, and he has not allowed a run in his first three games in the majors. He has struck out five and walked two in 2 2/3 innings.

“Nothing is finished,” Garrett said. “It’s still a work in progress. I’m just going to keep that mindset that I had.  And I’m going to go out and try to put zeroes as much as I can for this team.”

At his best, Garrett was a dominating reliever who threw in the high 90s and struck more than a batter per inning. As recently as last season, he had a 3.33 ERA with the Kansas City Royals, but he was released by the Royals last summer. The Cleveland Guardians signed him and released him without bringing him to the majors. He was in spring training with the San Francisco Giants, but released before opening day.

Garrett said his slider, which is his signature pitch, is never good in spring training, and the Giants didn’t have the patience to wait.

The Angels then gave him another chance.

“It’s been a long journey for me to get back here,” Garrett said. “I felt like I was I was in a good space (at Salt Lake). I felt like I was back to my old dominant self when I was in Cincinnati. And I feel that I’m even better than that right now. I think I’m in a good spot right now, in a really good spot.”

LOOKING BETTER

Left-hander José Suarez gave the Angels reason for hope when he pitched two scoreless innings, with three strikeouts, at the end of Friday’s 6-0 victory over the Guardians.

Suarez brought a 10.13 ERA into the game. The Angels hung with him because they believed they would lose him to another team if they put him on waivers.

Suarez said he adjusted his mechanics to make sure he’s moving straight toward the plate. He said he’d been moving side to side too much. His fastball velocity also ticked up slightly during Friday’s game.

“I felt great last night,” Suarez said. “That was my stuff. That’s how I want to be … Yesterday was 100%. I feel like I can fight right now.”

Manager Ron Washington said he was encouraged that Suarez showed some tangible improvements.

“I thought he had more oomph on his fastball,” Washington said. “The breaking balls that he threw, he put them in a good spot. Threw some good changeups. So he’s getting his feel back for his pitches. If he can continue to get the feel for his pitches, he could be a tremendous weapon for us.”

Related Articles

NOTES

Luis Rengifo was out of the lineup Saturday because he had been feeling sick, Washington said. …

Brandon Drury returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games with headaches and a stiff neck, the result of a dive in Tuesday’s game.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 1-3, 7.45) at Guardians (RHP Carlos Carrasco, 1-2, 6.59) at Progressive Field, 10:40 a.m. PT Sunday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM.

​ Orange County Register 

Kings’ Pierre-Luc Dubois dilemma: buying in or buying out?

• May 4, 2024

EL SEGUNDO –– Of the myriad quandaries the Kings will confront this summer, the most significant might be their decision regarding underperforming pivot Pierre-Luc Dubois.

That conundrum joins calls about the coaching staff, team management and on-ice system, but a determination on Dubois carries temporal urgency as well as weighty long-term impact.

Dubois signed an eight-year, $68 million contract last June amid trade negotiations that sent him to the Kings from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for three players and a draft pick. Dubois had scored 60 or more points during his prior two seasons in Winnipeg, and the Kings touted him as a dynamo with offensive runway along with potential to round out his defensive game.

Instead, Dubois turned in a vastly substandard 40 points and a minus-9 rating on a team with a +41 goal differential, all with low intensity, particularly so in high-stakes contests.

While, technically, he played all 82 matches plus five in the playoffs, by his own admission he performed to his capability “some nights, some games and some spurts throughout the season.”

Today, the Kings find themselves in, effectively, a now-or-never position to buy Dubois out and get a mulligan on a contract that paid him like an ascending talent, only to see him nosedive in the regular season and remain a complete non-factor in a postseason during which he was billed as a difference-maker until the bitter end.

If the Kings buy Dubois out before his 26th birthday June 24, they’ll be responsible for one third of the remaining salary due to him, stretched across 14 seasons. Per Capfriendly, that sets them up with a modest cap hit for nine of the next 14 years (ranging from $1.13 million to $1.63 million), with the other five seasons’ penalties falling between $2.53 million and $3.82 million. On or after June 24, that cost will double, and there’s an element of suspense since the buyout period won’t open until the Stanley Cup is awarded, a date that could be as late as – you guessed it – June 24.

“I can’t [think about being bought out or traded]. It’s out of my control,” Dubois said. “I’m a firm believer in ‘everything happens for a reason.’”

The reasons Dubois landed such a lucrative contract or in Los Angeles to begin with were nebulous. A team that was deep down the middle with Anže Kopitar, Phillip Danault, 2020’s No. 2 overall selection Quinton Byfield, spark plug Blake Lizotte and lottery pick Alex Turcotte had spoken of needing defensive depth, goaltending, finishing and toughness before abruptly prioritizing yet another centerman over those needs. For next season, they have exactly zero goalies with NHL experience under contract, yet they’re married contractually to Dubois for seven more campaigns.

Nonetheless, he’d been coveted by his prior teams: The Columbus Blue Jackets selected him third overall in the 2016 draft and, when he shamelessly forced a trade to Winnipeg, Columbus netted a prolific winger (Patrik Laine) and a former first-rounder (Jack Roslovic). Yet after Dubois wanted yet another change of scenery, a situation that created burdensome strain in the Jets’ dressing room, there were Rob Blake, Luc Robitaille and Marc Bergevin, mortgaging the franchise with old chum Pat Brisson’s client, Dubois, a player that was still hyped on potential entering the seventh season of his NHL career.

Kopitar and Danault said they tried to comfort Dubois amid a campaign that saw him promoted, demoted, coddled, chastised and otherwise be the focus of gimmick after gimmick, none of which engendered any enduring improvement.

“He didn’t want to talk too much about it, because he knew he had a tough year. In his case, it was harder, because it was a new contract – a big one – and it brought lots of expectations, so it was a very hard year, mentally,” Danault said.

Although Dubois did not “come in and dominate” as Robitaille predicted before the season and even after 82 largely hapless contests, interim coach Jim Hiller – the front-office’s belly flop was a significant factor in the midseason dismissal of Hiller’s previously secure predecessor, Todd McLellan – doubled down on Dubois.

“We’re expecting big things. We’re expecting him to be great,” Hiller said. “We talk about the passion, the size, the energy, the physicality and all those things that get increased in the playoffs, he has all those qualities and we’re expecting him to bring them.”

Dubois responded to those plaudits with one impossibly fortuitous goal, zero shots on net in the three losses that wrapped up the fleeting five-game series and underlying playoff numbers that were nothing short of atrocious, despite matching up against mostly bottom-six forwards and the offensive-oriented Edmonton Oilers’ third defensive pairing. Dubois finished last among a lackluster group of Kings forwards in at least four major possession metrics: Corsi, Fenwick, shots-for and expected-goals-for percentages.

“He would be the first one to tell you that it wasn’t the year that he wanted to have,” Kopitar offered in a euphemism of epic proportions. “It was also a new environment and everything. Yes, we brought him in to put us over the edge, obviously that didn’t happen, but he’s not the only reason why this didn’t work out.”

For Dubois, the same breakup-day setting offered him a chance to alternate between two at-times-difficult-to-reconcile phrases, “It’s on me” and “it’s out of my control.”

He could not control how he was deployed, where he was placed on the power play, that the Kings made a coaching change, that he moved from center to wing and back while playing on all four lines or that he required a juvenile “points system” to reward him for non-statistical achievements (something that apparently worked, as arguably his least unsettling output came during that period).

His responses Friday constituted a respectable effort from a man who has always seemed charming on a personal level and clearly possessed physical talents, which he intermittently put to use in his hockey career.

Yet less respectable were his displays against top teams this year, and not just the Oilers, against whom he mustered two points – a nifty power-play goal and an unreplicable fluke tally in garbage time – in nine games this season. Against the other six Western playoff teams, he put up two goals, four assists and a minus-8 rating in 19 games, that from a player lauded as a “game-breaker,” a “200-foot player” and someone who would catapult the Kings over the top. In reality, Blake’s Kings have been nowhere near the top, with or without Dubois, having not won so much as a playoff series in seven seasons.

Given the Kings’ effusive praise of and concrete commitment to Dubois, one could easily envision Robitaille and whichever of his pals is the Kings’ GM in June –– odds are it will still be Blake or, potentially, a promoted Bergevin –– taking on the roles of Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert McNamara, insisting on soldering on through a war that’s already been lost.

Related Articles

But if the Kings are serious about winning meaningful battles, they’ll hope the Stanley Cup is hoisted in time for them to slam their fists on the reset button.

Next season, Dubois will be their highest-paid forward by annual average value and their highest-paid player in actual dollars. He’ll also earn more in actual cash payout than scoring champion Nikita Kucherov and Kings tormentor Connor McDavid. A buyout would free up nearly $7 million in cap space to re-sign Byfield as well as address other free agents (Matt Roy, Viktor Arvidsson and Lizotte, to name a few) and upgrade the Kings’ precarious situation in goal.

The circumstances make the available choices clear: Save face or save the franchise.

​ Orange County Register 

Galaxy’s Miki Yamane adapting to new surroundings

• May 4, 2024

After a career in Japan, Miki Yamane made the move to the U.S. and Major League Soccer this season, joining the Galaxy.

It’s a move with many adaptations, on and off the field, but through the early weeks the returns have been good.

“You can see he’s adjusting to many things,” Galaxy defender Maya Yoshida said of Yamane. “Many things are new for him. For him, it’s hard, but it’s good to be fresh after a long time in J-League with the same club. Everything is new for him.”

Yoshida, who is also Japanese, left Japan early his professional career and played in several stops in Europe before joining the Galaxy. Yamane, 30, spent his entire career in Japan, debuting with Shonan Bellmare in 2016, before making the move.

As the Galaxy (5-2-3, 18 points) heads into Seattle for a second meeting with the Sounders (2-5-3, 9 points), Yamane has played nine of the 10 games.

“I think he came in super aggressive and was flying, trusting his instincts in the game. I thought he got off to a great start,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “I think as a couple of things have sort of happened on his side, I think he feels responsible for a couple of situations that has made him maybe a touch passive in a few games.

“We want him to not worry about the things that have happened and trust himself.”

Vanney pointed to the penalty kick that Yamane gave up in the 2-1 loss to LAFC on April 6 as one of those instances that have affected Yamane.

“He takes that hard because that becomes a goal against us and then we lose the game,” Vanney said. “We’ve had a couple of set pieces where near-post space was won (by the opposition) and he’s supposed to control the near-post space.

“He takes that hard, I think it’s more emotionally … the league is challenging, there’s going to be challenges, not everything is going to perfect and it’s being able to get beyond that. I want to move forward, you can’t change anything in the past. You have a better chance in our league, if you stay aggressive, of good things happening.”

Yamane talked about his adjustments Friday.

“He loves it in L.A.,” Galaxy chiropractor Shunta Shimizu said, translating for Yamane. “It is definitely different than living in Japan, it’s not as challenging as he thought … he’s been able to adjust.

“He feels like J-League is more teamwork oriented and MLS is more individual skills and he had a hard time adjusting. He had to figure it out of how to handle the individual situations.”

Yamane and the Galaxy head into a difficult road trip. The Galaxy haven’t won in Seattle since 2016 and they will be without Riqui Puig (one-game suspension due to yellow-card accumulation) and Dejan Joveljic (hip injury).

“They’ve played well in recent games, they’ve dealt with some injuries, but as guys get healthy and available, they have speed and are very difficult to break down,” Vanney said of the Sounders. “I expect it’s going to be a difficult game. For us, we’ve got to continue to try to be the best version of us. We have to get off to a better start and against these teams that are hard to score against.

“You can’t concede goals easily because your chances are going to be fewer and far between, so we need to be solid on the defensive side, stay connected and play our moments, be solid in possession and we can’t give the chances to run free on us.”

Related Articles

EMIRO GARCES ARRIVES

The newest Galaxy acquisition, defender Emiro Garces, arrived this week and joined in first-team training Friday. Vanney said Garces, on loan from Deportivo Pereira in Colombia, will be available and on the trip, but will likely not see any action.

“He’s fast to close, great defensive anticipation, gets out to guys early, has no problem getting tight,” Vanney said. “We like him. He brings a different layer to our defenders.”

GALAXY at SOUNDERS

When: 3:45 p.m. Sunday

Where: Lumen Field; Seattle

TV: FS1, Apple TV (free)

​ Orange County Register 

Chihuahua Romeo is a lover with lots of affection to give

• May 4, 2024

Breed: Chihuahua

Age: 8 years

Sex: Neutered male

Size: 11 pounds

Romeo’s story: This sweet, slightly chubby boy is hugely affectionate, loving to give and get kisses and snuggles. He also loves lap time and being close to his foster person. His owner died, so Romeo needs a new home of his own. He walks nicely on a leash and knows “sit.” He gets along with other dogs and, while he likes all people, he is more comfortable with women. Romeo recently had his teeth cleaned.

Adoption cost: $300

Adoption procedure: Visit Pups and Pals’ website for complete adoption procedures and an application, which must be received before meeting Romeo. If you have questions about Romeo not answered on the website, please call 562-713-5103. Pups and Pals has other dogs if Romeo is not your perfect match.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

German shepherd Zelda is a ‘wicked smart’ girl

• May 4, 2024

Breed: German shepherd

Age: 2 years old

Size: About 65 pounds

Zelda’s story: Pregnant Zelda came to German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County when no one else would help her. After her puppies found homes, she was ready for her own. She is “wicked smart,” according to the rescue, and eager to learn. She’s energetic but controlled. She’s great with friendly dogs (not sure about cats), petite in stature and eager for someone with whom she can bond. She’s fully vaccinated, microchipped and free of any parasites.

Adoption donation: $375

Adoption procedure: Contact German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County at 714-974-7762 or fill out an application online.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Sting rocks the hits and Dirty Heads deliver a beachy vibe on day one of BeachLife

• May 4, 2024

Under a chilly night sky with thousands of fans eagerly waiting on the turf field in front of the main stage, with his bass guitar strapped around his wide shoulders and looking incredibly fit in a tight t-shirt and white jeans, rock icon Sting walked nonchalantly onto the stage at BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach.

The crowd almost didn’t seem to notice the former frontman for The Police until he started his epic hit-filled set with a song that was fitting for the beach-loving fans, “Message in a Bottle.”

“Just a castaway, an island lost at sea, another lonely day with no one here but me,” the 72-year-old legend sang as the crowd ate it up and sang along.

Yet day one of the South Bay’s biggest festival was anything but lonely for the thousands of music fans who attended the three-day event.

Besides Sting, the Friday lineup included Dirty Heads, Seal, City and Colour and several other acts on four stages. And as has become the tradition for BeachLife, day one set the relaxing and laid-back tone that continues throughout the weekend at the festival, which aims to celebrate beach culture, art, food and, obviously, music.

With the Seaside Lagoon parking lot transformed into a park-like setting thanks to lush green turf, people played cornhole, ping pong and beer pong with big red plastic cans instead of cups. Some sat on couches and bean-bag style cushions in front of the main stage or sang karaoke between sets.

Many, like Utah resident Holy Hartman, laid on blankets on the turf just absorbing the sun once the early morning clouds moved on.

“I’m just having a good getaway and relaxing. It’s just a place where you can lay down and enjoy the atmosphere or get up and dance when you want to,” said Hartman, who was reading a self-help book on the grass in the early afternoon.

Over at the Lowtide stage, which is closer to the ocean, some people walked barefoot on the sand right in front of the stage, or hung out on hammocks. Music fans ate well too, thanks to food options that included Le Burger by Michelin-starred restaurant Camphor, and the always popular Spicy Pie pizza, which has pretty much become a sought-after culinary headliner at festivals like Coachella, Stagecoach and others.

But the day was really about the music with some very memorable sets happening on the smaller stages.

Sporting a brown cowboy jacket with tassels, brown slacks and cowboy boots, Texas-based singer Abraham Alexander thought most festival-goers would probably have no idea who he was as he opened the small Riptide stage by the festival entrance with his 3 p.m. set.

But with his soulful voice and blues and R&B-drenched love ballads, he quickly attracted attendees entering the festival who made a right turn to hear his music instead of walking on by to the main stage area. His new fans were then slowly swaying their shoulders and nodding their heads to Alexander’s music.

“I feel great. You’re coming to a festival where practically no one knows who you are but at this festival they make it in such a way that people get to discover new artists. I felt people were really into the set and what I was saying and doing,” he said after his hourlong set.

And keep an ear out for Alexander because he just released his debut record and is getting ready to head on the road with blues rocker Gary Clark Jr., who previously performed at BeachLife in 2021

Meanwhile at the Speakeasy stage, where punk-rockers and others perform stripped-down versions of their music, Warren Fitzgerald, the guitarist for The Vandals, had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand with a lighthearted set of some of The Vandals best songs including “My Girlfriend is Dead,” “Money’s Not an Issue,” and “It’s a Fact.”

Dressed in pink pants and pink polo shirt with a green vest on, he almost looked like a singer at a kid’s birthday party, especially since he ended his set with his version of “Baby Shark.” But his fans were passionate and waited for him after his performance to take pictures or talk him up about his music and The Vandals.

“This is just me doing a lot of The Vandals songs that I love. I don’t do it very often and it’s very scary and I said, Why not,’ and it was fun,” he said.

But why end it with “Baby Shark?”

“I call it irritatement. It’s like entertaining and irritating at the same time and that will linger with everyone all day long,” he said with a laugh.

The feeling of being on vacation lingered later on at the Lowtide stage where the Dirty Heads, who combine rock, reggae and rap, performed a 7 p.m. set during what some refer to as the “golden hour” of a festival, where the sun starts setting and the day slowly dims into the evening.

The band played hits like “Lay Me Down,” “Medusa,” and perhaps one of the most crowd-pleasing songs of the night, their cover of John Walsh’s catchy reggae-driven hit “Life’s Been Good.”

It had many fans feeling pretty good about their day.

“I feel like I’m on an island or something hearing them on the sand, like where’s my coconut drink?,” said Long Beach resident Patricia Gomez as she danced to “Life’s Been Good.”

Related Articles

But the night clearly belonged to Sting.

“It’s my first time in Redondo Beach,” he told the crowd.

According to festival officials his BeachLife performance was Sting’s first SoCal festival appearance in more than 20 years. And he left his mark on the festival with a performance that included classic hits like “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Fields of Gold,” and “Roxanne,” and others.

The festival continued Saturday with Incubus and Devo and Sunday with  ZZ Top and My Morning Jacket as the main acts.

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers face questions after another season ends early

• May 4, 2024

The idea was to build a contender and titles will come. Bring in stars and high-level talent and meld them into a seasoned lineup and championships would follow.

But in the years since the 213 Era began, championships haven’t materialized – only injuries and heartache. The Clippers experienced more of the same Friday night when they were pushed out of the NBA playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks, who completed a 4-2 series victory with a 114-101 romp in Game 6 of the first round.

In the end, one star was missing, another didn’t show up and Paul George struggled to carry the load when it mattered.

In the end, the Clippers couldn’t do it without Kawhi Leonard, who, after his healthiest season in nearly a decade, sat out four of the six games because of a nagging swollen knee, missing largely his fourth consecutive postseason.

In the end, it was Dallas’ attack, led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, that destroyed the Clippers, who couldn’t stop the onslaught and reduced James Harden’s effectiveness in the second halves of the final two playoff games.

And in the end, the Clippers, who finished the regular season 51-31 and fourth in the tough Western Conference, went home empty-handed.

Again.

But now what? Will owner Steve Ballmer settle for more of the same? Can the richest owner in the league afford to rely on Leonard, 32, George, 34, and Harden, 34, for another season?

Leonard secured a three-year, $153 million contract extension in January, which keeps him in a Clippers uniform through 2025-26.

George can decline his $48.8 million player option for next season and become a free agent this summer, a situation being watched closely by the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have made it known they are interested in acquiring the nine-time All-Star.

George said he hasn’t focused on anything besides the playoffs at this point.

“I got a lot to kind of digest myself, so I haven’t even got to that yet,” he told reporters in Dallas. “Look forward to kind of going back, just letting everything kind of decompress, talk to my family, be around family support and then address the next step.”

Harden will be a free agent this summer and could seek a max contract, something that he sought – and didn’t get – with the 76ers. He has indicated he prefers to stay in L.A.

“I don’t even know,” he said after Game 6. “You are asking a lot of questions that I don’t have the answer to or haven’t even thought about.”

Then there is coach Tyronn Lue, who hopes to sign a contract extension instead of seeking jobs elsewhere. His name surfaced as a possible candidate to replace Darvin Ham, who was fired Friday as the Lakers coach.

“I didn’t come here to bounce around and go all over the place,” Lue said. “This is where I want to be. Hopefully, [the Clippers] feel the same way.”

The Clippers are likely to exceed $200 million in payroll next season, which would restrict their offseason spending because of the second apron. And will it all be for another season that ends in a whimper?

Bad playoff losses have defined the Clippers since Leonard and George joined the team and Game 6 punctuated that notion, ending what started out as their most promising season to date.

This season was supposed to be different. Leonard and George, who ended the previous season on the bench with injuries, were healthy. Leonard played in 68 games, his most in seven years since his days as a San Antonio Spur.

They traded for Harden, costing them role players Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris and KJ Martin and multiple first-round draft picks yet giving the team another dimension. The transition wasn’t seamless, the Clippers losing their first six games with him. After that rough start, though, the three-time scoring champion found his place alongside Leonard and George and the Clippers got rolling.

They won 26 of 31 games during one stretch, creating a championship buzz around one of the highest-paid – and oldest – teams in the NBA. Then came the All-Star break and the talk turned into online chatter of “what happened?”

Related Articles

Losses began to creep in. The Clippers struggled to figure out how to fix things, finally turning the corner shortly before the postseason. But then Leonard’s knee flared up and he missed the final eight regular-season games.

It would be a harbinger of the postseason as the team, without its scoring leader, went belly-up against the younger, more aggressive Mavericks.

Now, with their new Intuit Arena in Inglewood debuting later this year, will it be the same story for the Clippers, one of big promises and small returns?

​ Orange County Register 

UCI chancellor says plans are to continue discussions Monday with student protesters

• May 4, 2024

UC Irvine chancellor told the campus community in a Friday night message that university officials intend to continue discussions with student protesters who formed a Gaza solidarity encampment earlier in the week.

Though more demands have been made in a counterproposal received Thursday – some of which he said “can be easily met” but some “challenge the very core of our mission” – Chancellor Howard Gillman said in the released message he remains “optimistic that we will be able to arrive at a mutually agreeable resolution of this situation.

“At this time, we are scheduled to continue our discussions on Monday,” he said, adding the encampment that has been near Rowland Hall since Monday has remained peaceful – which he said the students protesters have helped ensure.

“As long as this remains the situation, there is no cause to involve law enforcement, except as needed to help ensure the safety of the protestors and others in the area,” he said.

Sarah Khalil, a student organizer, said the chancellor’s email is not an accurate explanation of what’s been happening on campus and the way it was put out was not right.

“We are not leaving until all of our demands are met,” Khalil said. “We want all of them to be met, not some of them.”

The pro-Palestinian encampments that have formed at campuses around the country, including UCI and also Chapman University in Orange County, have generally called on universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel and weapon manufacturers.

Those encamped at UCI have asked for donations of supplies to help sustain their effort.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register